Research on implementing a restorative approach

In 2006 Belinda Hopkins completed her doctoral thesis on the experiences of educationalists implementing a restorative approach in their schools. She began her research in 2000 when the field was very new and so the thesis is in some way a historical record of how the field grew from a few individual schools, to a partnership project involving a cluster of schools and then to the very first county-wide initiative.

The thesis also records the challenges teachers found using their skills in an environment that was quite resistant to the restorative approach, and what strategies are recommended for overcoming these challenges.

Since then Belinda has been conducting informal research on implementation. Elements of her thesis and the more recent findings are to be published in a book called Just Change as soon as she can finish it.

Belinda Hopkins’ doctoral thesis can be downloaded by filling in the short form below: